Staff at a food manufacturer speak publicly about years of alleged workplace bullying

Almost half the staff at an inner-city gourmet food manufacturer have spoken out about alleged extreme workplace bullying. The staff took the unusual step of speaking publicly about the alleged bullying because they hoped doing so would help their situation.

18 staff out of 38 accused their employer of allowing bullying to go unchecked despite numerous complaints, including allowing a senior staff member to:
■Regularly scream at them & make sexual comments.
■Tell workers they needed to give 48 hours' notice if they wanted to take sick days.
■Demand staff work overtime, without any notice.
■Tell any casual worker who became full time they must ''celebrate'' by buying lunch for the entire workplace, or buying a supervisor a gift.
■Keep the wages of some employees for up to 8 weeks.
■Pressure most staff to pay her - in cash - 10% of a backpay payment.

The case will throw a spotlight on laws passed last year that were aimed at tackling workplace bullying.

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Source: http://www.theage.com.au/small-business/staff-at-food-plant-allege-years-of-extreme-bullying-20121007-277dc.html

Companies should establish a social media policy, according to new survey results

Businesses that haven't already set up policies about how their staff use social media in the workplace should do so quickly or risk becoming irrelevant to job seekers, according to the Hays Tomorrow’s Workforce report.

The results suggest while businesses don't need to spend a disproportionate amount of time creating a social media policy, it will still affect how potential employees see the company and affect your reputation.

• 19.7% of job seekers would consider turning down a job if they didn't have "reasonable access" to social media sites during work hours.
• 44.3% of employers believe that allowing employees to have access to social media will improve retention levels.
• 25.3% of respondents didn't have a clear idea of how to represent their companies on social media. Businesses have found themselves in hot water over situations where employees have said inappropriate things on Facebook or Twitter, reflecting badly on the company.

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Social Media, Email and Online Etiquette

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Social Media, Email and Online Etiquette – E-learning

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For more information on this HR news, visit Smart Company’s article. Source: http://www.smartcompany.com.au/managing-people/051902-workplace-policies-on-social-media-essential-as-survey-reveals-one-fifth-of-job-seekers-want-full-access.html